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An emergency dispatcher who can be overheard in the Maya Angelou 911 call was suspended for criticizing Oprah Winfrey in the middle of the emergency.

John Ruckh -- a dispatcher in Winston-Salem North Carolina for 24 years -- is heard in the background ... making critical comments to someone about Oprah.

Ruckh -- who did not take the actual call -- is heard telling someone that Oprah has fallen out of grace because of an interview she did, where he claims she stated, "There are still generations of people, older people, who were born and bred and marinated in it, in that prejudice and racism, and they just have to die."

Ruckh insists he used no racial slurs during the conversation, saying, "Unfortunately I work in a high-profile job and everything's recorded."

I have called dispatch several times due to 1) Road Rage situation , 2) Home invasion , 3) Suspected Robbey, and the kindness of the dispatch varies depending on the severity of the situation. They almost always interrupt whilst speaking. I know to give all my key information first, but they talk to most people like they are idiots....

i had to call 911 bc i had a panic attack in the middle of the night. i was terrified, i thought i was having a heart attack. i couldn't breathe i was like struggling to talk and the lady on the phone literally sounded like she was taking my order through a drive- thru window. i had to just put the phone down and sit until the ambulance got there bc she was making it worse. luckily they came really fast.

not that i was expecting the call/halle berry level of empathy but aren't they supposed to sound like they give a fuck?

I think it's like..they have heard everything and anything that it doesn't/shouldn't phase them anymore. I do know that if you're getting a procedure done and a nurse starts crying, they will NOT let you have that nurse again (in my own experience). They probably are told they cannot feel emotion, etc.

I do know that if you're getting a procedure done and a nurse starts crying, they will NOT let you have that nurse again (in my own experience).

Wat? Like what kind of procedure?

I know nurses used to be told to not show emotion if a patient died or something like that but now it's seen as appropriate and even a sign of empathy, especially if they were close to that patient and the family. But yeah I mean if you're in the OR, there's probably not much of a reason to cry (unless the surgeon lays in on your ass).

tbh the 911 dispatchers hear all sorts of shit, from the stupid to the heinous. They aren't customer service; they are trying to get the key information to get help to you as fast as possible while assessing the situation so cops/paramedics/whatever know what they are walking into. You can't necessarily blame them for doing their jobs.

they take call after call of 'i can't get my cheeseburger, send the police' 'this person won't let me change lanes and i almost wrecked because i didn't want to use the brakes!' and so onthen, their other calls are people dying in their ears and they can only send a car to their location. that's it. if they are lucky, they never have to listen to a baby or relative/friend die - most aren't.

it really ruins you and most dispatchers can't make it more than a few years.

also, in most situations, they make right at fast food pay. it's really difficult to keep turnover down when people are stressed out to the max and working for nothing. they are responsible for lives - like officers and emt - but they can't get paid. now check and see how much the state funded college is paying the football coach.

focusing on you, though, i completely understand how you feel. you went through something incredibly terrifying and you want comfort. a lot of dispatchers do soothe and comfort callers. I'm really sorry you went through that.

I've experienced it, too. even though i work with the person who took my call, i'm a total bitch to her and i can't get over it. all the scared and panic got focused into anger at her.

A few years ago I interviewed at the dispatch in my town. After the interview, they let me into the dispatch room and I was able to see what they do for an hour. These guys are under a shit ton of stress and have to teach themselves how to not have any emotion. They also have to be quick because there are only so few working and they are receiving so many phone calls. On top of that, they have to watch out for the cops and check in with them every so many seconds. And the sad part is that cops get shitty attitudes with them because of it. Their job is not to mollycoddle. It's to have their questions answered, call it in, and move on.

they probably had her name appear on the call/address info. that sparked an oprah conversation. everyone in those type of settings talk way too much. i struggle with reminding my folks that someone is on a call - stfu. you'll hear curse words, people talking about poop, or arguments on recordings.